Common Printer Problems

Printing From Windows

The colour inkjet printer is only accessible from tet, but all the laser printers are accessible from every computer in the Statslab. As the laser printers are faster than the inkjet and produce better quality output, I'd advise you to use them unless you need to print colour transparencies.

Windows programs offer you a choice of printers, but sometimes the menu won't contain the printer you want. You can fix this by following a simple procedure which you should only need to carry out once for each Windows machine you use.

Exit the program you were trying to print from (e.g. Microsoft Word).
Open the Printers window (from the Start menu, choose Settings then Printers).
Click on ``Add a printer''.
Choose the network printer option, then choose ``Connect to this printer''. Type ``\\spaces\'' without the quotes, and a long list of printers will pop up.
The one you want is probably ps10 which is the name of the laser printer in the photocopier room on the first floor. You may also want ps2, which is the laser printer in the computer teaching room, or ps8, which is the laser printer in D0.02, a cupboard on the ground floor.
Finally, Windows will ask whether this printer should be the default printer. It's a good idea to make sure the default printer is one of the laser printers rather than the inkjet.
If you reopen Microsoft Word, the printer you chose should now be available.

Printer Error Messages

Sometimes you'll find a printer sitting there with an error message on its screen and often blinking an orange light. Please read the message carefully and see if the problem is something that you can fix yourself. The newer printers have a ``?'' button which you can press for clarification of the error message. If you can't solve the problem, then please email me, stating which printer is having trouble.

If the printer is asking you to load a tray, this normally means that it is out of paper. If you have filled all the printer trays and are still getting this message, it may mean that someone has been playing about with the control panel menus.

If the printer is complaining about a paper jam, open the printer cover and carefully remove the jammed paper. Sometimes you will have to open the back of the printer or remove the tray or the toner cartridge in order to remove the jam.

If the printer is asking you to replace a cartridge, it has run out of ink, and all you can do is email me. Note, though, that "order cartridge" means only that the printer is running low on ink and does not require any action.

For more printer messages and basic instructions on how to print, see my web page about printing. For difficulties with printing not covered here, see the printing section of my FAQ.